Destiny
by ForeverXxMiranda
Summary: Takes place during Season Two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.. From the episode Innocence to the finale. Focuses on Angelus and his former lover Miranda An original character who was sent by the Powers that Be to kill him, but failed to do so.
1. Prologue

Prologue.

_London. 1802._

"_You must destroy him. His future, the one that we see for him cannot be allowed to happen… The Slayer will die because of him, because she will be naïve enough to believe that he will never be able to hurt her. Do whatever is in your power to do it. Do not let him survive."_

_The man in the dark robe that had spoken stepped away from the young demoness in front of him. His superiors thought that she could handle this, that they could trust her to destroy someone so important to history. He had his doubts. Miranda Jacobs was powerful, seductive, and young. Her father had beaten her for years before she had run away. He didn't trust her. She was psychic, where he was not. She was more powerful than him and most his superiors, her Mother had been a God, one of the greatest, of all. She had her own dimension that she ruled in, and had abandoned Miranda only because she thought her daughter was dead._

_Miranda knew nothing. Her father had told her that her mother was dead. She also didn't know that she would betray those that were counting on her the most. The ones that didn't want Angelus to see another day, and that wanted Buffy Summers to be the last slayer. Only he, Whistler knew what would happen, and only he could control the final outcome.._

_He left her then, his long black robes billowing out behind him as he strode away. Miranda watched him go, and closed her eyes. Already she had seen a very different outcome than the one that Whistler described to her. A future where Angelus lived, and fell in love with slayer; a future that involved everyone from Angel's "family", hers Drusilla, Darla, Spike. Vampires that existed and vampires that would, very soon._


	2. Warning

Sunnydale, California.

1997.

_Miranda looked across the table at Giles, who was regarding her with suspicion. He didn't trust her, she could tell, and she didn't blame him. All of the demon lore painted her a traitor, a half blood who couldn't exist in anyone's world. Former lover of Angel. Spike's "friend" someone who had turned against both the Watcher's Council, and the Power's that Be because she fell in love with a vampire, because she was selfish and naïve, stupid, and blinded by love, by pain, by the abuse that the vampire inflicted upon her._

_She shuddered, but didn't remove her gaze from Giles' face. "You have to trust me." She pointed out gently. "Otherwise Buffy will die. You cannot handle that. Already you think of her as you daughter, losing her would destroy you, even more than losing Jenny Calendar will."_

_Giles' face was set into a hard line as he examined Miranda's face. He saw no sign of something amiss, but he couldn't bring himself to trust her. Until today had been under the impression that her existence was a myth that she didn't really exist. _

_Angel had never once mentioned her to him…Giles wasn't really surprised at that, because Angel rarely spoke of anything that wasn't an immediate danger, but he had thought that he would at least tell Buffy about it._

_He cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully before he spoke, "Why are you here? Why now? What did you see that made you believe that being in Sunnydale at this time would be the right time?"_

_"I saw him lose his soul." Her words were simple, a little cold even. Her face twisted into a bitter smile. "Angel was not pleasant to be around when he didn't have a soul. If you pissed him off you died, end of story." She lifted the sleeve of her long sleeved shirt to reveal a nasty scar that ran the entire length of her arm. "And if you get in the way of his prey you end up getting hurt."_

_"H-How?" Giles stuttered, trying to remember what the one thing that could make Angel lose his soul was._

_"One moment of complete happiness." Miranda said quietly as if reading his mind. "In this case with his soul mate." _

_"Buffy." Giles whispered the word, horrified._


	3. Innocence

Innocence.

"How did you know it would happen?" Giles asked her later, after the gang had congregated to the library to discuss what could have made Angel lose his soul, The only person missing was Buffy, who had run out after the confrontation in the hallway… Everyone's faces were creased with worry, except for Giles' who now merely looked curious to find out what exactly had brought Miranda to Sunnydale.

A half a dozen heads turned from Giles' to Miranda, who weighed her words before she spoke. "I was sent to Angelus and Darla when I was to prevent this from happening. The powers that be thought that if I stopped him then that, the world would be a better place.. They showed me the consequences, if I failed to kill him." She took a breath, turning away from everyone, and climbing the stairs that led to the stacks. She disappeared for a moment, and when she reappeared she had a book in hand.

"Angelus and Darla were an atrocious couple in their prime. So in lust with each other that feeding and making love; were the only things that they could stand to do together. When I was sent to find Angel it was easy for me to seduce him, as curious as he was to know his future.. .I lied a little, but was able to get close enough for him to trust me." She paused. "Close enough, for me to fall in love with him."

She stopped again, and the entire gang watched her movements as she sat down, and pulled the book open. She flipped about a hundred pages into it, before stopping and handing the book to Giles. He took it, and fumbled for a moment to find the place where she wanted him to begin reading:

"_Angel, shall become Angelus again when he achieves one moment of true happiness. The Slayer will be at fault for this, and the Slayer will die because of her naïve actions in the face of the danger that he poses to her. Her friends, her town, her family, all will perish."_

There was silence, as everyone looked at Giles, and then Miranda for a long moment. Finally Cordelia spoke. "Okay. I'll bite. Who Prophesized that?"

"I did." Miranda's voice was the shadow of a whisper.


	4. Involved

The Next Day.

"Did you do it? Did you change him?" Buffy's voice was insistent. Annoyingly insistent, her hands around Jenny Calendar's throat. She shoved her Computer science teacher up against the wall demanding an explanation for her sudden appearance in her dream.

"Buffy! Stop." Miranda's voice was commanding. "She did not cause Angel to lose his soul."

"She's involved in this somehow." Buffy insisted, her voice on the edge of hysteria.

"Buffy-"Giles started to move towards her, but Miranda's voice stopped him. "Jenny knew that Angel was cursed, but she didn't know how he could lose his soul."

Buffy paused, and looked at Miranda, then back to Jenny again, and slowly released the computer science teacher from her grasp. Jenny gasped for breath, backing slowly away from Buffy, towards Miranda.

"What do you mean she knew about Angel's curse?" Giles asked quietly, his eyes only on Miranda.

"What she means Rupert is that I am a gypsy. My people are the ones that cursed Angel with his soul, and I was sent here by them to watch him.. To keep him away from Buffy .." she faltered then, unsure of where to go. " I swear if I knew this would happen I would have told you."

Giles looked horrified. " Jenny!"

Miranda watched as Buffy took everything in that Jenny was telling her, slowly coming to the conclusion that Miranda and Jenny had obviously already come too. "So it was my fault then. I did this?" she asked finally.

"I don't understand." Giles spoke again, his eyes wild.

"The curse." It was Miranda who picked up the story now. "If Angel achieved one moment of true happiness than he would lose his soul." She paused, obviously embarrassed, before continuing. "Am I right then, in assuming that you slept with Angel?"

Buffy stared at the floor for a long moment, and Miranda was afraid that she wouldn't answer. Finally she nodded, and they all looked away for a long moment to give the slayer time to regain her composure. Finally, Buffy spoke. "Curse him again." She said bitterly, looking at Jenny.

"I can't-" she started awkwardly. "those magicks were lost long ago. She exchanged a long glance with Miranda, the only person who hadn't shown signs of trying to kill her in the past few minutes, and sighed.

"But we can take you to someone who can." Miranda said softly, watching Jenny.

A/N: Please Review! I'm kind of stuck as of now so any ideas would be good as well.


	5. Was it good for you?

The hotel room that Jenny took them too was tiny, almost trashy looking. She opened the door with her own Key, which surprised no one, except maybe Giles. She paused once inside the darkened room, taking in what lay in front of her, fighting the nausea that overwhelmed her, as her stomach rolled. "Oh My God." She breathed, trying to control herself.

She rushed to him, only to be held back by Miranda. "Don't." she cautioned, pointing at the blood, at the message on the wall behind him.

_Was it good for you too. _

"Well that's nice of him." Miranda muttered under her breath, turning her attention back to Giles and Buffy.

"He's doing this to you deliberately, trying to make it harder for you." Giles was telling her, his face hard to read.

"He's just making it easier. I know what I have to do." Her voice had lost any semblance of emotion.

"What?"

"Kill him."

The Library.

Sometime while Miranda, Giles, Jenny and Buffy were dealing with Jenny's betrayal, and Uncle Enyo's death, Xander had come through with something to kill the judge, who was still their main priority. Now they were crowded into Giles' office as Xander unveiled the weapon her for. "Happy Birthday Buffy. I hope you like the color."

It was a Rocket Launcher. Buffy couldn't bring a smile to her face if she wanted too, but she was impressed none the less. "This is good."

Jenny approached the door quietly, almost hesitantly. " I-Is there anything I can do?" she asked quietly.

"Get out." Buffy spoke it slowly, deliberately.

"I-I just want to help."

Giles looked away from her, his eyes meeting Miranda's, and filling with a pain, a sadness that she almost choked on. This was going to kill him, so much. She reflected. She turned toward Jenny. "She said get out. I suggest you listen to her." She felt Buffy's gaze shift from Giles, to her, and raised her eyes to meet The Slayer's. After a long moment, Buffy nodded and looked back at the weapon in front of her.

"Want me to show you how to use it?" Xander asked, giddy at the thought of playing with explosives.

"I do."


	6. The Judge

Smurf.

Miranda gazed around Sunnydale's Mall, still amazed that it had taken Oz, the newest member of the group to come up with this place, as the place that the Judge would most likely show up at. "This is going to be a bloodbath." She muttered, as they stepped off the elevator behind Buffy, Xander and Giles, and headed for the food court. Buffy was barking off orders over her shoulder, as she went.

"Everybody keep back. Damage control only. Take out lesser vamps if you can. I'll handle the Smurf."

Miranda smiled faintly, at Buffy's description of the Judge, and ignoring the slayer's orders dashed off in the direction of Drusilla's retreating figure, as the Rocket launcher went off. Easily catching up the psychotic vampires she grabbed her by the arm and twisted her around. "Longtime no see Dru. How's life going for the insane?"

She twisted out of Miranda's grasp, twirling to face her, her face lighting up in an insane smile.. "You've been a naughty girl Miranda, going against Angelus like you did. He loved you, you know."

Miranda let out a bitter laugh as she pinned Drusilla against the wall. "Angelus doesn't love anyone but himself; even you know that he only turned you because you would be of use to him. Now tell me what he is going to do." She demanded, already sick of dealing with Drusilla.

Drusilla laughed loudly, struggling against Miranda's grip. " Don't you already know?" She asked, giggling. "My Angel must have spelled it out to that awful girl by now. He is not one to keep secrets, you know that."

"I want you to tell me." Miranda demanded through gritted teeth. She was starting to see why Spike got so annoyed, so easily.

She finally got free of Miranda's grip, and clapped her hands, laughing. "He's going to kill her, but he's going to torture her first." She smiled. "And I'm going to help him and we'll live together, rule together… it'll be perfect."

With that she curled her first, and punched Miranda as hard as she could in the face, and the demoness lost her balance, slamming into the marble floor. When she finally hauled herself back to her feet a moment later, the sprinkler system had cut on, and Drusilla was gone.


	7. Phases

_1898._

_Romania._

"_You have failed us." Whistler spoke in a quiet voice, a disappointed voice, staring at the red haired demoness in front of him. "Angelus is not dead.. He's very much alive in fact, and with Darla, as we speak."_

"_But the gypsies…t-they gave him a soul." Miranda spoke in a shaky voice. "I saw it as soon as it happened, as soon as he bit that girl."_

"_SHUT UP." Whistler demanded his anger getting the best of him. "He may have a soul now, but one moment, just one, of complete and total happiness can erase all of that! It will erase all of that! You stupid girl." _

_Miranda gulped, feeling what little color was left in her face leave it. "Then what do you want me to do now?" she asked quietly, desperately. _

"_Nothing." Whistler said firmly. "As of this moment you are being stripped of your powers. The only one you will retain will be the one most natural too you. Return to London, or Egypt, for all I care. I never want to see you meddling in affairs like these ever again. "_

_Miranda didn't speak for a long moment, fighting back tears, and other emotions that she was not sure that she understood; " It's not my fault I fell in love with him. I was just trying to do my job."_

"_Let's hope to god that when Angelus returns you can do what is right then, and kill him."_

Sunnydale.

The Present.

Miranda jerked awake, shooting straight up in the bed, the sun streaming through the window in front of her making her wince. She closed her eyes for a long moment, before reopening them, and getting out of the bed. She padded down the stairs to the kitchen, and out on a pot of coffee. She was just pouring herself a cup when someone opened her sliding glass door, and stepped into her kitchen. "I thought you never wanted to see me again." She asked, without turning to face him. She finished adding cream and sugar to the coffee and turned around. "And yet, here you are. Did you come back to punish me for trying to help Buffy now?"

Whistler watched her for a long moment, fully aware that the woman in front of him had changed an awful lot in the last hundred years or so, since he had seen her last. "No, actually I didn't." he answered finally. "I came to ask you what the hell you were thinking revealing yourself to Drusilla."

Miranda shrugged. "She would have seen eventually, realized on her own that I was a part of this."

"You made yourself a target." Whistler pulled something out of his pocket, and handed it to her. "That was on your front porch."

Miranda took it from him, and unfolded the paper, already knowing who it was from. Inside was a picture of her that Angelus had sketched over one hundred years previously. Underneath the picture he'd added a caption, and despite herself Miranda shuddered when she read it.

_This time I'll get you too. _

"He knows then." She said softly. "I don't know how or when he figured it out, but he knows."

"Yeah. He does." Whistler sighed. "And you get to keep yourself, the slayer, and Jenny Calendar alive."

"And there are werewolves in Sunnydale. And werewolf hunters." Miranda said brightly, taking a long drink of coffee.

Whistler, watching her smiled grimly. "I think you need something stronger than coffee."

The Next Day.

Miranda ran into Buffy and Xander the next afternoon, between classes. Literally. "Sorry guys." She muttered, "Long day."

"You're telling us. We were just talking about Theresa." Buffy said quietly, glancing around the hallway.

"I've been meaning to ask you about that actually." Miranda said suddenly. "I looked up the police report after Giles mentioned Werewolf.. did you ever see it?"

"Not all of it." Xander answered for them both. "Why?'

"Because it doesn't mention anything about her being mauled."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Oh.."

Xander looked confused. "What?"

Miranda and Buffy turned towards the doors to the school almost at the same time, and Xander hurried to keep up, still wondering what they were talking about. "What are you two so jazzed up about?" he asked again, not entirely surprised when neither woman answered him. They were almost to the funeral parlor before Xander got an answer from Buffy.

"Her death was linked to the animal attacks from the other night. We assumed it was the werewolf."

"But?"

Miranda glanced at him, as she parked her car and led the way into the building. Buffy right behind her. "But. Angelus got to her first."

Xander and Buffy both looked at her sharply, as they examined the bite wound hidden under the scarf tied around the other girl's neck. "This is my fault." Buffy muttered under her breath, as she glanced at the guest book. "She had a lot of friends."

Xander opened his mouth to answer her, but paused. "Theresa's a vampire."

Buffy turned and lunged herself at Theresa as the other girl got up. They wrestled for a moment, and Buffy got her pinned, reaching for a piece of wood to stake her with. Suddenly though, Theresa spoke, and what she said sent Buffy reeling. "Angel sends his love."

Buffy hesitated long enough for Theresa to start to get up, and Miranda started to move forward to dispatch the fledgling. Xander however stopped her. _ Let me. _ He mouthed, just before sticking the easel through her back. Theresa collapsed into dust, revealing a very shaken Buffy. Xander helped her up, and she leaned on him for a moment, fighting for composure. "Angel." She muttered.

"Buffy.." Miranda started, before falling silent. Xander had already beaten her to the comforting. So instead of speaking Miranda turned her head, and gave Buffy time to compose herself. If anyone knew what it was like to hit rock bottom with Angelus running around trying to kill her it was her. She turned on her heel and led the way out of the funeral home. After a long moment Buffy and Xander followed her. They still had werewolves running loose, and as usual the Slayer's feelings were put on the back burner, to be dealt with later.


	8. Valentine's Day Interlude

Valentines Day Interlude.

Miranda sat at her desk long after school had let out. It was one week after Buffy's adventures with the werewolves of Sunnydale, and Oz's confession that he himself was a werewolf. Miranda had yet to check in with Willow to see how she was handling that, but she suspected that the redheaded witch would not have any problems adjusting. Her best friend was after all a Vampire Slayer, and if someone could adjust to that than they could adjust to anything.

Miranda stifled a yawn, and got to her feet, picking up her bag and heading for the door. It was almost Valentine's Day, and her students were getting restless. The boys worried about what to get the girls, and the girls wondering what the boys were getting them. Not to mention that she and Giles had, had a long talk with Buffy the day before about Angelus and his… way of celebrating Valentine's Day in the past. She had no idea what he could be planning for Buffy, but from her conversations with Spike she knew that he had something planned, and that it probably was not pretty.

A noise in the hallway behind her made her jump, and she turned around immediately on alert, wondering not for the first time why she bothered with involving herself in Angel's life again. All she had succeeded in doing was grudgingly befriending Buffy and her friends, and reconnecting with Spike, oh and making herself paranoid all over again. Just what she needed. She shook her head at her jumpiness, when she saw that the hallways was empty, and continued on down the hallway, eager to get out of the school and into the relative safety of her own home.

Whistler watched as Miranda hurried out of Sunnydale High School, his face creased with worry. He knew Miranda's history better than anyone employed with the Powers that Be, which was why they had sent him to Sunnydale to help her. If only she would allow him to help…. Miranda was suffering, he knew she was. She was long over Angelus, there were no longer any romantic feelings there, but he knew that it would be a longtime before she got over all of the physical harm that he had caused her. Whistler also knew that despite what he had told her one hundred years previously when he had stripped her of her powers that she was met to be here, not only because she felt responsible for not killing Angelus when she had the chance, but because she fit in well in Sunnydale, better than she had anywhere else that she had tried to live since she had been stripped of her powers, and her job.

He continued to watch as Miranda got into her car, and then walked to his own and slowly followed her out of the parking lot.

**Author's Note: **It's been a longtime! I know! I am so sorry that I abandoned this story when I did, lots of personal stuff going on, and I just did not have it in me to write Buffy The Vampire Fan Fiction for a very longtime. The good news is that the story is very close to being done! I wrote two chapters today, which between this chapter, and the next will bring us up to Passion... downside? For those of you that are hardcore Buffy, I felt the need to explain Miranda and her connection with Whistler a bit more in this chapter, and in the next one...So prepare yourself for a lot of scenes with just Miranda, and not anyone else. Except maybe Whistler. When I created her character back in the day I imagined Miranda as being pivotal in Season Two, because she failed at doing the one thing that she was supposed to do, which changed the course of history. Both for herself, and for Angel...

Anyway! I hope you enjoyed!


	9. Passion, Part One

Passion, Part One.

Valentine's Day had passed without any major incident, unless of course you counted Xander and his inability to take being dumped well. Miranda reflected wearily, as she poured herself a cup of coffee thoroughly exhausted. She glanced at her sliding glass door, and heaved a heavy sigh before striding across the room and pulling it open.

"Whistler, I know you are out there. You might as well come in."

The demon in question entered the room with a sheepish smile on his face, which Miranda did not return. He sighed, taking in Miranda's haggard appearance, before finally speaking. "I need to tell you some things."

"Of course you do." Miranda shot back. "All cards on the table now?"

"All cards on the table now."

"Start talking then, I have to be at work soon."

Whistler took a deep breath. "I have been keeping some things from you… the first of which being that Jenny Calendar has to die. I know that you could save her, but her future has been written, for her to live at this point would throw everything off balance. I am not sure who would die in her place, and that is a risk I am not willing to take."

"Fine." Miranda did not look happy about that revelation. "When?"

"You know that I cannot tell you that." Whistler actually looked apologetic for a moment. "There's more, actually."

"Acathla?" Miranda's voice was quiet, the emotion behind it unreadable.

"Yeah, you saw that too?

"What don't I see that is related to Angelus at this point?"

"You know that he was originally supposed to stop Acathla from being awakened right? That you allowing him to live was actually supposed to be proven as a good thing when Drusilla and Spike tried to awaken Acathla."

"Yes, but no one foresaw his relationship with Buffy becoming physical when it did… or ever, regardless of what I prophesized when I had the vision of Angelus returning."

Whistler winced at the bitterness that laced her words. "You really know how to hold a grudge don't you?"

Miranda glared at him from across her living room, as she moved to pour herself another cup of coffee, realizing that she had somehow managed to drink the entire cup while Whistler was talking. "You took my powers." She told him, her voice emotionless, despite the look on her face. "You blamed me, because you thought that I had changed the course of history. You did not want to believe me when I tried to tell you what I had seen, and you did not want to hear that he had been cursed with a soul. I tried telling all of you why I did not kill him, why I let the gypsies curse him, but you did not listen. I tried to tell you how to keep him from ever ending up in Sunnydale when Buffy did, but you did not listen. I tried to explain Acathla to you, and you did not listen. You come here now, and tell me that I was right all along, but that you did not want to tell me until absolutely necessary? I officially have no reason to trust anyone from the Powers That Be!" Miranda took a ragged breath, and ran a hand through her hair, forcing herself to calm down.

Whistler raised his hands in surrender. "Mira…My hands are tied. I am just the messenger. Just like I was just the messenger when you lost your powers."

"Ugh!" Miranda exclaimed, fed up. "I will make sure that Jenny Calendar dies. I will make sure that Angelus either gets recursed or killed. I will ensure that Acathla is stopped. Somehow. Is there anything else you want? Because I do not think that I need to remind you that I do not work for the power's that be anymore."

Whistler reached out of placed a hand on Miranda's face, gently tilting her head until she was forced to look him in the face. "Try to let go of some of this hate for us? They are sorry for what you went through, just like they are sorry for thinking that you were a fraud."

Miranda laughed, stepping back out of his reach. "Right. Let it go… a century of beatings, and bruises, dealing with people like Darla and Drusilla, letting _William The Bloody_ nurse all of my scrapes and bruises because he felt sorry for me… Yeah I am just dying to forgive them for that hell, and the additional trauma of having to live like a human for the past one hundred or so years too." She looked at him for a long moment, and then sighed, setting her coffee cup down, and reaching her hand up beneath her hair to massage her neck. "You need to go Whistler."

Whistler gazed at the demoness in front of him for a long moment, and then sighed heavily. "Fine…If you need me I will be around. I don't plan on leaving Sunnydale until this is all over." He didn't wait for Miranda to respond, but turned on his heel and exited her house the same way that he had entered, shutting the door silently behind him.


	10. Passion, Part Two

**Author's Note:** Now we get back to the actual storyline! Most of the dialogue in this chapter will be taken directly from the Episode Passion, with the exception of Miranda's of course.

Passion, Part Two.

Across the street Buffy Summers awoke slowly, her brain still foggy as she rolled over and glancing at her alarm clock. The envelope on her pillow stopped her, and she sat up quickly, pulling her hair up off of her face as she reached for it, ripping the envelope open unceremoniously.

Inside was a sketch of her sleeping. Buffy gasped, and got up, suddenly in a hurry to get to school.

The Library.

"He was in my room." Buffy announced bursting into the library, and walking past Giles, who was behind the checkout counter checking in books, and Miranda who was leaning against the counter looking more and more like she should be home in bed. Buffy threw her stuff down at one of the tables and slumped into a chair, registering faintly in the back of her mind that Xander and Cordelia were present as well.

Miranda rubbed her forehead wearily, as she and Giles exchanged a look. "Who? Angelus?"

"Angel." Buffy corrected automatically, As Miranda and Giles both took seats at the table as well. Xander and Cordelia looked up surprised, refocusing their attention to the conversation going on in front of them.

"Are you sure?" Giles asked looking perturbed.

Buffy crossed her arms, and gave him an exasperated look. "Positive. When I woke up I found a picture that he'd left on my pillow."

"Join the club." Miranda muttered, pulling her own piece of artwork out and throwing it on the table. "I think Angelus is aware that I am in town."

"Visits from the pointed tooth fairy." Xander quipped half-heartedly, looking at the two women in front of him concern written on his face.

"Wait, I thought vampires couldn't come in unless you invited them?" Cordelia asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

Giles met Miranda's eyes again, silently asking who was going to field Cordelia's questions. Miranda rolled her eyes, but kept silent. Giles sighed, and bit the bullet. "Yes, but uh, once you've invited them in, thereafter they are always welcome."

"You know, I think there may be a valuable lesson for you gals about inviting strange men into your bedrooms here." Xander said quietly.

"I never invited him in." Miranda shot back. "He left that on my front porch. A friend found in a couple of days ago."

Cordelia, ignoring the conversation going on around her suddenly spoke up, her eyes wide." Oh my God! I invited him into my car once. That means he can come into my car whenever he wants!" She looked at Giles, then at Xander, half terrified by the revelation.

Xander snorted. "Yep, you're doomed to having to give

Him and his vamp pals a lift whenever they feel like it. And those guys

Never chip in for gas!"

"Well, at least Spike never did." Miranda countered, smiling wistfully at some memory that Xander was not even going to ask about.

"Giles, Miranda, there has to be some sort of spell to reverse the invitation right? Like a barrier? No shoes, no pulse, no service kind of thing?" Buffy asked, ignoring Miranda's comment.

"Yeah, that works on cars too!" Cordelia piped up, choosing that moment to insert herself into the conversation again.

Miranda shrugged, as Giles began to speak, telling the girls that he would look into it. He was cut off mid-sentence by Xander, who suddenly jumped out of his chair. "Hello!" Everyone turned, confused as to who Xander would be speaking too, and saw that Jonathon, and another of their classmates Leanne had entered the library while they had been talking. "Excuse me, "Xander continued. "Ever heard of knocking?"

Jonathon looked confused as he gestured to all of the books surrounding them. "We are supposed to get some books…"he paused. " On Stalin."

"Does this look like a Barnes and Noble?" Xander demanded, getting ready to rant.

Miranda covered her laugh with a hacking cough, which sounded very fake as Giles interjected himself into the conversation. "Xander, this is the High School Library."

Xander looked confused. "Since when?"

"Stalin books are on the third row." Miranda told Jonathon gently, "historical biographies." She offered the boy a smile, which he returned, before disappearing into the stacks, Xander, Cordelia, and Miranda all got to their feet, and headed for the door. After a beat Buffy and Giles followed, as the ducked into the hallway, and stepped down a couple of doors to Miranda's classroom to finish their conversation.

"So Angel has decided to step up his harassment of you…" Giles mused, as they settled in, and Miranda pulled the door shut behind them.

"By sneaking in her room and leaving stuff at night? Why

Doesn't he just slit her throat or strangle her while she's sleeping or

Cut her heart out?" Cordelia paused, realizing that Xander and Miranda were both giving her dirty looks. "What? I'm trying to help."

Miranda rolled her eyes, stifling the urge to tell Cordelia to shut the hell up. "Angelus likes to play; it's what some call battle strategy. He is trying to screw with your head, and distract you. "

Giles was nodding, "Precisely. Except in this case I think he is trying to provoke you, or taunt you. Perhaps even goad you into some sort of mishap."

Xander let out a bark of laughter. "So basically it's the nah-nah-nah-nah-nah approach to battle."

The room was silent for a moment, before Giles spoke. "Yes Xander, you have once again managed to boil a complex thought down to its simplest possible form."

Miranda spoke up then, taking the heat off of Xander. "When Angel killed Drusilla he toyed with her first." She paused, giving Buffy an apologetic look." The first thing he did was kill her family."

"You're Mom." Xander said quietly, his face going pale.

"I know." Buffy acknowledged. "I am going to have to tell her something." She glanced at Giles for help. "The truth?"

Giles frowned. "No.. Y-you can't do that."

"Yeah, the more people that know the secret, the more it cheapens it for the rest of us." Xander joked half heartedly.

"But I've got to tell her something. I've got to do something. Angel has an all access pass to my house, and I am not always there when my Mother is. I can't always protect her. Buffy's face was getting more and more worried by the minute.

"I told you, I will find a spell." Giles promised her, flustered.

"What about until you find a spell?" Buffy shot back, frustrated

"Until then, you and your mother are welcome to ride around with me in my car." Cordelia offered.

"How about, until then I live across the street from you." Miranda said softly. " I have a friend who has been in town for awhile, I will ask him to keep tabs on your Mom, make sure that Angel doesn't get to close."

"Thank You." Buffy said quietly, her eyes meeting Miranda's for a long moment.

"Buffy, I-I Understand your concern, but it's imperative that you keep a level head through all of this." Giles said, interrupting her moment with Miranda.

"That's easy for you to say. You don't have Angel lurking in your bedroom at night." Buffy told him, exasperated.

"I know that this is hard on you." Giles paused, interpreting the dirty look that Buffy shot him. "Okay, I don't. But as the slayer you do not have the luxury of being a slave to your, your passions. You mustn't let Angel get to you. No matter how provocative his behavior may become."

There was silent for a moment, and then Buffy spoke. "So what you're basically saying is, just ignore him, and maybe he'll go away."

Giles exhaled. "Yes, precisely."

"Hey! How come Buffy doesn't get a snooty once again you boil it down to the simplest form thing?" Xander demanded. Buffy and Giles both turned and looked at him as he examined Buffy up and down. "Watcher's pet."

Their laughter was punctuated by the bell ringing, and Buffy, Xander, Cordelia and Giles filed out of Miranda's classroom, just as her students began to file in. Miranda watched as they split off farther down the hallway, Buffy and Giles turning towards the computer science room, and Xander and Cordelia going in the opposite direction, then turned her attention to the students in front of her.


	11. Passion Part Three

Passion, Part Three.

**Author's Note: **Obviously I decided to break passion up into several different chapters… I felt that if I did not do this than Chapter's 9, and 10 would have been extremely long. I think I am finally halfway through! I am cutting scenes that were in the show, mainly because I am adding scenes with Miranda.. so.. enjoy.

Buffy and Giles met Willow after her second period Computer Science Class. Unfortunately when they arrived she was still inside the classroom talking to Jenny Calendar. Buffy took a deep calming breath before she poked her head into the classroom. "Hey Will!" She called out, forcing a smile for appearances sake.

Jenny and Willow turned at the same time. "Hello Buffy, Rupert." Jenny greeted, trying her best to keep her voice steady.

Giles chose to look at the ground, and Buffy ignored her altogether, choosing instead to speak to Willow. "Willow, I thought I might take in a class. Figured I could use someone who knows where they are."

Willow shot Jenny an apologetic look, before she turned and started to walk out of the classroom. Her eyes found Buffy's and she immediately began to speak. "Sorry. I have to talk to her. She's a teacher, and teacher's are to be respected,… even if they are only filling in until the real teacher shows up, because otherwise chaos could ensue." The two girls exited the room, and rounded the corner, their voices fading as they got farther away from the classroom.

Giles watched them go, before stepping slowly into the classroom, his hands in his pockets. Wondering all the while if he should even be bothering with this, according to what Miranda's visions were telling him, Jenny would die soon, whether they reconciled or not.

"How have you been?" Jenny asked him quietly, coming around her desk to face him.

"Uh, not so good actually. Uh, since Angel lost his soul he has regained his sense of whimsy."

"That sounds bad." Jenny countered, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Well he's been in Buffy's bedroom. I-I-I needs to drum up a spell to, uh, keep him out of the house."

Jenny reached behind her, and picked up a book from the top of her desk. "This might help." She told Giles, as she handed it to him. I have been doing a little reading since Angel changed. I don't think you have that one."

"Thank you." Giles told her sincerely, as he began to leaf through the book.

Jenny was silent for a moment, weighing her options. Finally, "How's Buffy

Doing?"

"How do you think?" Giles snapped, closing the book and tucking it under his arm.

Jenny turned away from him, straightening the paperwork on her desk. "I know you feel betrayed."

"Yes well, that is one of the unpleasant side effects of betrayal." Giles shot back.

Jenny kept her eyes on her desk as she answered him, choosing her words carefully, trying to make him understand. " Rupert…I was raised by the people that Angel hurt the most." She raised her eyes, and looked at him for a long moment. "My duty to them was the first thing I was ever taught. I didn't come here to hurt anyone, a-and I lied to you because I thought it was the right thing to do…I.. I didn't know what would happen, I didn't know I was going to fall in love with you." She paused then, looking at Giles for a long moment. "Oh God. Is it too late to take that back?"

"Do you want too?" he countered.

"I just want to be right with you. I don't expect more. I just want very badly to make all of this up to you."

"I understand." He conceded. "But I am not the person you need to make it up to." He smiled at her reassuringly, and turned to the door. "Thank you for the book."

Jenny watched him go, unaware that outside her window, Whistler was watching her, Making sure that Miranda was not trying to interfere.

Night.

Spike sat in his wheelchair at the head of the table that he and Drusilla had set up, deep in thought. He had just gotten off of the phone with Miranda, who had warned him that things were going to start heating up soon. She had asked for his reassurance that when the time came he would help her. He had agreed. He did not like Angelus anymore that she did, had seen him do so many horrible things to Miranda that even his stomach rolled at the thought of him doing more damage to her, which once he realized just how involved she was in his situation, was bound to happen. He sensed, rather than heard Drusilla enter the room behind him, and turned his attention to her, despite being beyond annoyed at her behavior as of late.

"I brought something for you." Drusilla sang, her face breaking into a smile as she brought a puppy out from behind her back, and sat it on Spike's lap. "Her owner died…without a fight. Do you like her? I brought her especially for you!" She reached a hand out and pulled on his jacket. "To cheer you up, and I have named her…Sunshine!"

Spike looked from her, to the puppy for a long moment, and then finally turned away, unable to look at her anymore.

"Come on Love, you need to eat something to keep your strength up now… " She began waving the puppy around excitedly. "rrrrr, open up for Mummy!"

"I won't have you feeding me like a child Dru." He shot at her, wheeling himself around the table.

"Why not?" a new voice interjected, "she already bathes you, carries you around, and changes you like a child."

"Why, Angel. Where have you been? The sun is almost up, and it can be so hurtful." Drusilla glanced at Spike, before continuing. "We were worried."

"No we weren't." Spike shot back, deciding that the two of them were making it easier by the minute to side with Miranda, and the Slayer when the time came.

"We must forgive Spike. He's just a bit testy tonight. He doesn't get out much anymore." Drusilla spoke quietly, as if she were afraid to upset him.

"Well, maybe next time I'll bring you with me, Spike. It might be handy to have you around if I ever need a really good parking space." Angelus smiled innocently.

"Have you forgotten that you're a bloody guest in my bloody home?" Spike demanded angrily.

Angelus took a couple of steps closer to him and leaned down. "And as a guest, if there's anything I can do for you…any responsibility I can assume while you're spinning your wheels…" he let his voice trail off, as he looked over at Drusilla. "Anything I am not already doing that is."

"That's enough!" Spike shouted, angrily pushing Angelus away from him.

Drusilla leaned down to Spike, and gave him a peck on the cheek, setting the puppy in his lap. "Awww.." she walked around to the other side of the table, throwing them both a grin. "You two boys…are fighting over me and all. Makes a girl feel…" Drusilla cut herself off, and moaned loudly in pain as Angelus and Spike immediately reached for her both of them concerned.

"Dru. What is it pet?" Spike asked her quietly.

"The air… it worries… someone, an old enemy is seeking help... help to destroy our happy home." Drusilla stumbled a little, and than leaned against a chair, her head spinning as the vision swirled around her.

In her house on Revello Drive, Miranda jerked out of her own vision breathing heavily. She felt around her, realizing vaguely that she was lying on her living room couch. Where had she been when the vision hit? She wondered vaguely, searching in her mind for a memory…any memory. After a moment of consideration she decided that her last very clear memory was of the conversation that she had been present at that morning, about Angelus being inside of Buffy's bedroom. With that knowledge firmly planted in her head she forced herself to pry her eyes open and look around her living room.

Whistler sat across from her, sipping a cup of her coffee and looking worried. When he saw that her eyes had opened he relaxed slightly, and sat the coffee cup down. "I will never get used to how fast you go out when you have a vision." He informed her, getting to his feet and walking to the kitchen. He returned a moment later with a glass of ice water, which he offered to Miranda, who after a moment of struggling sat up and accepted it.

"Sorry…" She shrugged, as she took a long drink of the water aware that she was shaking, badly. Then closed her eyes as she waited for the wave of dizziness to pass." You're supposed to be keeping an eye on Ms. Summers." She managed, as she fought to remain coherent. She motioned with her arm for the prescription pill bottle that sat on the counter next to the coffeepot, and Whistler got to his feet and went to retrieve it.

"Imitrex?" He asked.

"Migraines." Miranda explained her expression guarded, as she opened the bottle and palmed two of the pills, swallowing them almost immediately. "Care to tell me why you aren't across the street?"

"Well, for one, Buffy is home. She has a friend with her too, so I didn't think that my presence was needed as well. I'm no Slayer, if Angelus tries anything tonight he'll deal with Buffy. Two, I saw you go down when I was coming across the street, it worried me."

"Drusilla saw what Jenny was going to do." Miranda said suddenly. d quietly, handing the bottle to his friend, and taking his seat again.

"I know." Whistler told her gently.

"It won't be long now. If Drusilla saw exactly what I saw, than she knows who Jenny is, and that she found a way to get the spell to re-soul Angel back." Miranda took another sip of her water, trying to calm herself. She did not want Whistler to see her shaking; she did not want him to see how much her visions were starting to affect her. She had the feeling that the progression from visions, to blackouts, to waking up with migraines was not good, but she did not want a lecture from him, not when their relationship was already so strained because of the power's that be, and their backwards way of doing things. She shuddered again, as the orb of thesulah flashed in her mind, along with Jenny's words to the shopkeeper. She only hoped that Giles and Jenny had a chance to make things right before she died.

The Next Day.

Miranda arrived at Sunnydale High School late the following morning. She and Whistler had stayed up long after she had come to from the vision talking, and she had only gone to bed because Whistler had made her, going as far as carrying her from the couch, where she had been content to lay, to her bed and staying with her until she had fallen asleep. If she had time to wonder about Whistler's true feelings, or intentions she might wonder if his interest in her had changed in the past dozen years, but given how busy she was, not to mention how busy he was, she shrugged the thought off.

As Miranda got out of her car and hurried across the quad she caught sight of Buffy, Willow and Xander in conversation, and almost switched directions to greet them. Before she could however Willow stalked off, and Buffy took off at a jog going after someone ahead of them. Miranda rounded the corner just in time to see Buffy stop Jenny Calendar, and slowed from her brisk walk to a more leisurely one, passing them in time to hear Buffy tell Jenny that Giles missed her. _ Good for you Buffy. _ Miranda thought to herself, resisting the urge to rub her forehead as she continued on past them, in search for Giles.

Twenty minutes later Miranda had almost given up, until she saw him passing out flyers in the lounge. She waited until he was done speaking to several students before approaching him. "Giles."

He turned, surprised, and frowned at Miranda's haggard appearance. "What happened to you?" He asked concerned.

"A vision." She replied shortly. "Can I get you to check into something for me in your spare time?

"U-uh, sure." Giles fumbled for the words, surprised by her question. "What is it that you need?"

"My visions…" Miranda hesitated for a moment. "They are progressing, sometimes I blackout… yesterday I lost memories of an entire day, with the exception of our conversation yesterday morning… and I woke up with a headache that not even my medication could touch." Miranda glanced around her, and noticed that Buffy, Xander, Willow and Cordelia were closing in on them, quickly. "I know that it is a little bit out of your area of expertise, but I do not want to tell my Informant from the Power's that Be about it.. It will just worry him."

Giles nodded, and then noticing that Buffy and gang had caught up to them promptly changed he subject. "Buffy! So,uh, how was your night?"

Buffy shrugged. "Sleepless, but no human fatalities."

Giles nodded in understanding, having heard about Willow's own adventure with Angelus the night before. He felt sorry for her; he knew that she had been attached to her new fish aquarium. "I –I found a ritual to revoke the invitation of a vampire."

"Oh, Thank God. I actually had to talk my Grandmother into switching cars with me last night." Cordelia told them, her face grave.

"Um, t-th-the ritual is fairly basic, actually it is just the recitation of a few rhyming couplets, burning of uh, moss, herbs, and holy water." Giles turned away from them and headed for the hallway that would take him back to the library. Buffy and Miranda fell into step behind him, with Xander, Cordelia and Willow bringing up the rear.

"All stuff I have in my house." Buffy muttered, as Giles began telling her that she would need to hang crosses.


End file.
